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Author: green_acre_radio

The rapidly growing alternative food system is made up of people reclaiming their connections to their food and their health. In his new book, Food Rebels, Guerrilla Gardeners and Smart-Cookin’Mamas: Fighting Back In An Age of Industrial Agriculture, forty year veteran of the movement, Mark Winne, introduces us to innovative “local doers” leading the charge. Heeding Emerson’s call to embrace that great American virtue of self-reliance, these doers are defying the authority of the food conglomerates and taking matters into their own hands. …

After the release of a recent fact-finding commission on the BP oil disaster, state environmental leaders have proposed new measures to keep Washington waters safe. The legislation is designed to upgrade the state’s oil spill protection plan and will require oil companies to expand their capacity to respond to a catastrophic spill. Martha Baskin takes a closer look and talks with those who recognize the vulnerability of a state with some of the busiest shipping lanes in the world. …

Lede: As the recession continues into 2011 cash-strapped states and municipalities continue to stare at alarming amounts of red ink in their budgets. Washington State is no exception. Severe cuts have already been made to programs and initiatives across the board, and environmental protection programs have been hit especially hard. But a proposed piece of legislation may offer one way forward. This week on Green Acre Radio, Martha Baskin checks in on the Clean Water Jobs Act, an act that would combat pollution and runoff from roads and other impervious surfaces. The idea is to get people back to work and to protect Washington’s waterways at the same time. Funding would come from fees on oil and industrial water users. But there are many sides to the issue including expected resistance from big oil interests. Martha Baskin brings us more. …

Lede: When the Duwamish River was declared a Superfund site ten years ago, the intent was to right the damage caused by one hundred years of industrialization. The Superfund law was enacted by Congress to clean up hazardous substances that endanger public health and the environment. The threat was typified by the Love Canal disaster in New York and the Valley of the Drums in Kentucky. In this week’s Green Acre Radio, Martha Baskin takes us to a public meeting on clean up options the EPA proposes for Seattle’s embattled river. …

Cultivating the art of producing healthy food that doesn’t harm the environment is a viable job creation strategy across the country. At Seattle Central Community College, the Seattle Culinary Academy has been vital to building the city’s sustainable foods industry. The Academy is one of the first in the nation to offer formal sustainability courses. This week Martha Baskin visited the school’s new “One World Kitchen and Dining Room” to see what’s cooking. …

If you’re talking about job potential, community colleges operate in a parallel universe. Emerging as innovators in the field of sustainable energy education, the colleges are moving the clean economy forward, despite the job market. Hone your skills. Think wholistically. The jobs will come. Martha Baskin checks in with a program at Cascadia Community College. …

Lede: ‘Tis the season for siting southern resident orcas in the Puget Sound. From November through February orcas leave their summer home in the San Juans to follow winter salmon runs. But with salmon runs on the decline orcas are barely holding steady. Listed as endangered, factors they can’t seem to shake are inadequate food source, noisy marine waters and toxins. Martha Baskin brings us this update. …

Alternative fuels – biogas, algae, natural gas, electric – are often cited as a silver bullet in the effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But are all environmentally smart alternatives? In this week’s Green Acre Radio, Martha Baskin looks at compressed natural gas. Taxis, mass transit and garbage trucks have embraced it as a clean energy solution. But it comes with a cost. …

Mid-term elections are around the corner. If you’re wondering whether there are any green issues you may have overlooked you’ll have to wade through a Voter’s Pamphlet almost an inch thick. On page 109 of the 118 page treatise is a little mentioned Referendum. Called Referendum 52, the measure is a hybrid mix of job creation, energy efficiency and what promoters call “healthy schools.” Martha Baskin takes a closer look. …

Hood Canal has long been considered one of the most scenic places in the Pacific Northwest. It also used to be one of the most productive water bodies, sustaining generations on its bountiful fish and shellfish. But for all its beauty, Hood Canal suffers from a complex problem: low levels of dissolved oxygen, a critical indicator of water quality health. Martha Baskin brings us this report. …

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